Aleutian Sparrow is a historical fiction novel that illustrates the experiences of the Aleutian people when they were removed from their homeland after it was bombed by the Japanese during World War II. The novel, which is written in free verse and is narrated by a fourteen year old girl named Vera, takes one through the upheavals, the heartache, and the perseverance of her people in a time of uncertainty and desperation. The text is filled with images that bring light to the brutal experiences of the Aleutian people, tugging at ones emotions and leaving one wondering about the real experiences and story of the Aleutian people. Although the poems are filled with elegant detail, they tend to leave a lot to the imagination and can again leave one wondering about the actual events and experiences the tribe went through during their relocation

This book has many excellent ways it can be applied to lessons and thematic units. It can be easily added to reading groups and book clubs during WWII units. In addition to all the possible application to its concrete time period and setting, this book can be coupled with class discussion and exploration into the power of intolerance, misunderstanding, and the command to remain authentic, and true to one’s self in the wake of sorrow, disease and a family dismantelling.

This book was highly recommended by my Goodreads friend, Cherylann as a follow up to Out of the Dust which is a special favorite of mine. Hesse does such a great job of capturing the essence of history and she does not disappoint in this book. As a result of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the distrust of Japanese, they gentle Aleuts were forced to relocate to inhospitable lands, boredom, loneliness and death from disease. This free verse novel truly captured the mistakes that history makes distrusting its own people and making them the enemy. The Aleuts spent years yearning for their home and families, only to return and find homes destroyed and families torn apart. A must read for anyone who loves free verse novels and historical fiction.

Karen Hesse is a master at telling a deep, detailed, and tragic story through limited words and space. I devoured this book in 2 days. Brilliant and well researched. A story that needs to be heard.

Very sad story about what happened when Native Alaskans were wrenched from their homes on the Aleutian Islands and the military set up camp there.

Always like the format of Karen Hesse's books. Easy, quick, poetry reads. WOW, makes me wonder where I was in my US History classes. I don't think I ever remember learning about this. Made me sad. Well written. Would recommend.

This short novel introduced me to an American experience I was unaware of; completely. American Aleutians, attacked, relocated, and interned during WWII. Such a sad tale told with well crafted poetic devices brought out the beauty of people and amazing geographies of North America. I loved this book.

I do love Alaskana, even though it's often a difficult, sad, and trying history. Hesse has an amazing ability to share such a rich history in such few words. Though this is actually fiction, there is so much truth.

In free verse. Interesting subject matter.

I think this book is very good because i like poetree and this book is poetree and I like this book because I feel like it is at a good levle for me to read.

Wonderful, powerful book. It's sad to think that our own people were treated as badly as the Jews in Europe during World War II. I am glad to know this part of our history. Hopefully, we will not repeat it again.

I was hesitant to start this book, worried that the short poems might be boring or that it would fail to tell the story. But I loved it, read the whole thing in a day and have such strong emotional attachments to the story and the characters, including the places they loved. This is a piece of history I had never heard about and am so glad that this book exists to try to tell a little bit about how the American government interred people during WWII.